I put the magazine back exactly as I had found it - the past week at work

Tuesday

Back to the office after the bank holiday. I spent the morning art directing an ad for a software company. We are supposed to put all art directing through Ian our Creative Director upstairs, but I knew exactly what the client needed and decided to brief the designer myself (also I wanted to mildly annoy Ian who used to behave badly when I worked in his department).

Only Louise and myself were on our floor today, everyone else being on holiday. It was quiet, and there wasn't much to do apart from mooch around the emply rooms. Leafing through a woman's magazine I picked up from Andrea's desk (Andrea is my immediate boss) I discovered a very frank questionnaire about sex which she had filled in - I put the magazine back exactly as I had found it.

Lunchtime I spent looking at wallpaper in various shops.

The afternoon was a bore and I was glad when the working day came to an end. I went to a committee meeting of the educational charity I do voluntary work for. We discussed setting up and International Council to co-ordinate activities overseas, and by a constitutional fluke I found myself a member of this new Council.

Wednesday

The morning was extremely quiet, with no new ads to process. Chris who does the Accounts was back from holiday and we drank coffee and talked. Andrea was also back and talked of her boyfriend coming to the agency tomorrow ("He's dying to meet you - I told him you were the one I confided in...").

I wrote copy for the software campaign, hampered by the fact that I didn't understand a lot of the jargon.

Despite my spartan intentions I was lured out at lunchtime and had sandwiches and chips and a pint of beer.

The afternoon was as quiet as the morning.

Thursday

No Andrea today as she was ill. I rang her at home and she described how she was lying in bed feeling sick ("Whatever you do, don't make me laugh"). I wrote down her instructions for everybody.

I finished the software copy and it was integrated into the layout. The design looks superb. We discussed doing a slightly different version, then decided to just stick with the one option and pursuade the client to go with it.

Lunchtime I went to Oxford Street where the congestion on the pavements was off-putting.

In the afternoon I heard that the software ads had been accepted (and my copy had been commended, which briefly relieved my on-going feelings of creative inadequacy).

Friday

Andrea did not come in until midday, having had to visit her doctor.

Despite having articles to precis and an urgent press release to get done I did almost nothing during the day. Louise went out and bought all the newspapers, which kept me occupied for most of the time. Chris was also in (she shares an office with me) and we talked idly.

A late lunch from 2.30 to 3.30. Andrea and I went to a nearby cafe. She talked about her boyfriend Chris who is an army officer ("He's quite porky... he doesn;t get on with his father... his sister married a squaddie...").

Back in the office I finally got the press release done. Some ads came in for next week, which was a relief (the long period with no new work was becoming unnerving). Denise had bought a water spray/mister for the plants and this proved to be very popular so that Andrea had to shout for it to stop.